Raje blasts Railways for poor security

New Delhi, Mar 10 (UNI) Ms Yashodara Raje(BJP) today lambasted the railways for poor security inspite of having one security personnel per kilometre of network in the country.

In her maiden speech in the Lok Sabha, she said with 64,000-strong Railway Protection Force (RPF) backed by 3000 Government Railway Police (GRP), the Indian railways had the largest security force in the world for its network but the security record of the railways remained dismal.

She sought a second push for safety in the railways after the previous NDA government had given first push by creating a Rs 17,000 crore fund for railway safety.

Ms Raje also suggested the railways to go to market to mobilise funds through initial public offering (IPO) to finance infrastructure projects.

She said railways should become a part of India's Look East policy by expanding its network to connect the country with south east Asia and southern China. But she lamented that the railways freight corridor project had already taken two years to get conceptualised and would take another 7 years to execute, adding the railway ministry was silent on high speed corridor in the budget.

The BJP member demanded that at least 40 of the proposed 53 new trains to be launched in 2008-09 should be unreserved as 90 per cent passenger traffic travels in unreserved coaches in abysmal conditions. "It's cattle travel" in these coaches and, therefore, the railways must take immediate steps to improve travel conditions in such trains, she added. Ms Raje also demanded lowering of fare in Garib Rath to enable common man travel in it.